BonVivant

A summery salad on this dark, miserable day. (I had to brighten the photos quite a bit as it was really dark at 2pm)

Anna_N, thank you for your kind comment! And am sorry to hear you have almost no access to good fresh fish. I'd miss it so dearly, too. Hope you get to eat it somewhere on holiday then. This is a big one... about a kilo. Second photo before the glasses just for size.

Rarerollingobject, many thanks! I can't get enough of roe. --------------- This fish, from Norweigian arctic, needs no more than what is seen here. (plus a lot more crunchy vegs and boiled potatoes, not pictured, however.) Side view: stuffed with shelled prawns* and bound using butcher's twine. (*) Made a cup of broth from the prawn shells and drank it all whilst I was putting everything on the plate. Front view. Enormous flakes. The loin is thick and long (500g), which I then sliced in two as I have nothing long enough to serve it in!

I normally remove the membrane but this time the roe is left whole. Sichuan chili in oil and sesame oil on top. There was also a beef shin broth with maitake on the side.

OC, the cheeses are all lovely. I was lucky to find unpasteurised Mont d'Or only 10 minutes from my house. I used to scoff at this cheese shop LOL... (well, they did deserve it before, years ago.) Cheers

Ann_T, just gorgeous! ---------------------------------------- Mine today: Vietnamese-esq slow roasted beef ribs. Marinated the night before in fish sauce, sherry and minced lemongrass. Roasted on low heat for 2.5hrs. A heavy meal but was worth it. 1.5kg of it.

Second lunch. First lunch. Always start with cheese, bread and Speck or Jamon Serrano. The crusty side

Risotto and 2 kinds of fungus. Camera only see black slices And yesterday: steamed roe mixed with beaten eggs, minced ginger root, garlic and preserved turnip bits. Steamed long stem broccoli and rice alongside. And more ginger on top.

Was full after the rice paper rolls so that bowl in the background is for dinner later. Hard to focus on the rice paper!

Lamb Köfte from the other day, simmered in a tomato and Turkish red pepper sauce today. It is a brilliant paste and I use it often in anything I like, really. I ate it with pasta, my partner preferred pita bread.

Lamb mince became (Turkish) Köfte. This shape because it's easy to brown and turn. Liquid was added half way through and then covered til meat was throroughly cooked.

Sliced lamb meat marinated with shawarma spices. From the Turk butcher. Bread is a kind of Iraqui flat bread baked in a drum.

Sparren, thanks for the background story of your meals. Also, I like your presentation. Cheers.

Meat is made in France and imported here. I live in a Vietnamese food fan's hell. ------------ Sartonic, sausage rolls where I am are eaten with mustard. I like them with both mustard and chilli sauce (separately!).

Thanks, Sparren! Sounds a bit like a fancy version of Bauernfrühstück which was invented to use up previous days' leftovers.

I like this. Is there a story behind it? How do you make it (your way)? Looks simple enough but not sure what cut of meat, kind of meat and spices you use. In Norway I came across "Finnbiff", a dish that is also popular in northern Sweden (and Lapland in general). Let us see how you make it, too, someday maybe?

Northern European seafood (with mild Asian flavour): Skrei (basically a young cod caught in northern Norway, in the Barents Sea, ia a seasonal fish and more expensive than "normal" cod), with North Sea shrimp. Fish was dusted with seasoned flour and simply pan fried. Shiitake mushrooms were steamed in dry sherry and then sesame oil was added on the plate. As you can probably see, the loin is almost as big as the plate, and of course the flakes were huge. Lovely fish.

White wine, swede, fresh rosemary, shallots, garlic, Moroccan preserved lemons and saffron powder, salt. I like it slow.

Monkfish stew. 1.5kg beast

Black radish and North Sea shrimp (Crangon crangon) on rye sourdough. Saucy thing in jar is olive oil, pounded anchovies and garlic.

Haha... you would be quite welcome to join us. Though, we don't eat curries and are slow eaters. I enjoy looking at everyone's meals here every day! Thank you, all! ------ Dinner last night was my usual oven roasted brill with huge roe sack. I love brill and I love roe!

Meaty roasted pork belly from the butcher (brought back from Germany on a recent holiday). Mild Gewürztraminier in the warm Sauerkraut.

The marinade has Chinese five spice powder, soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, garlic, ginger roots, and Sichuan peppercorns.

They get culled sometimes mostly due to over population. Well, at least that's what the government says. I like them in a braise with smoke beer, Speck, juniper berries and mushrooms. Served with Spätzle.

Simple dinner.